People living with Pain

This page provides links and information for People with Pain

The following pages provide information that may be of use to people living with pain, including a list of UK-based patient organisations, a frequently asked questions section and a suggested reading section.

Contents

What support is available for people with pain?

Pain clinics

People with chronic pain may be able to attend a specialist Pain Clinic for assessment and possible pain management, together with advice on living a fuller life in spite of pain.

Pain Clinics vary in the treatments offered and not all hospitals may have a specific pain clinic. Sometimes a Consultant with an interest in pain will prescribe drugs or give injections to try to control pain. Other clinics have teams of doctors, psychologists, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and others.

Pain Management Programmes

A Pain Management Programme (PMP) is a psychologically-based rehabilitative treatment for people with chronic pain which remains unresolved by other treatments currently available . It is delivered in a group setting by an interdisciplinary team of experienced health care professionals working closely with patients.

Some Pain Centres may run Pain Management Programmes that aim to teach a group of patients with similar problems about pain, how best to cope with it and how to live a more active life, others may offer acupuncture and other complementary therapies.

For the majority of people, attending a Pain Management Programme reduces the disability and distress caused by chronic pain by teaching physical, psychological and practical techniques to improve quality of life. It differs from other treatments provided in Pain Clinics in that pain relief is not the primary goal, although improvements in pain following participation in a Pain Management Programme have been demonstrated.

Referral to a Pain Management Programme is usually via your local pain clinic.

The British Pain Society has produced a publication on Pain Management Programmes, which can be found HERE.

BPS Patient Publications

The British Pain Society has published a number of booklets aimed specifically for patients. Most publications are available to download free of charge, in PDF format by visiting here.

You might find of particular help, our Understanding and Managing Pain booklet. his booklet has been produced to help patients understand and manage their pain. Whether the pain is recent or long-term, severe or less severe, this booklet explores how to get the best out of the patient and healthcare professional partnership. It looks at what pain is, what can be done about it and who can help.

Useful addresses

The British Pain Society and its Patient Liaison Committee has put together a list of UK-based organisations, many voluntary, that specialise in helping people affected by pain.
To view these details please click here.

Patient Voices Video Resources

University College London Hospital’s complex pain team works with patients who have persistent or chronic pain. Their aim is to improve people’s quality of life and manage pain, whether in hospital or transiting back to living at home.As well as addressing patients’ needs, they also care for the professionals – the teams who are looking after those with chronic pain. Their collective stories demonstrate that whether we be patients, carers, healthcare workers, or a mixture of all three, we are each touched by pain and suffering, we are connected by each other’s willingness to listen, to attend to and to transform this experience.